School of Savings: Rite Aid Shopping

School of Savings is where you’ll find an in depth look at a chosen store or deal! A different store/deal will be discussed each week. Please comment below to let me know if there is a particular topic you would like to see in the School of Savings!

For my very first School of Savings topic I am going to tell you why Rite Aid is SO awesome! Since my very first couponing adventures, I have gotten crazy deals there. When shopping at Rite Aid you have multiple programs working together to get you the best prices. There’s weekly sales, your Wellness+ card, +Up Rewards, Video Values coupons, and Single Check Rebates…all of which can be combined!

Weekly Sales

Every week, just like most other stores, Rite Aid puts out a weekly ad showing all of their products on sale for the week. This is where you can look to see which items are on sale, which will trigger a +Up Reward when they are purchased, and which items are eligible for Single Check Rebates.

Wellness+ Program

Wellness+ is Rite Aid’s store club card. It’s totally free…you just fill out a form either in store or online and wah-lah…you’re a member J Every time you make a purchase, points are added to your account (1 point per $1 spent before coupons). Some of the perks of this program are:

A 10% discount everyday on all Rite Aid brand products

Special savings for only Wellness+ members on certain items. You’ll see “with Wellness+ card” for certain sales.

A 10 % one day savings pass when you get to 125, 250, and 375 points (discount applies to non-sale items)

A 10% discount for the year once you get 500 points (discount applies to non-sale items)

A 20% discount for the year once you get 1000 points (discount applies to non-sale items)

These extra discounts come in very handy when you need an item that isn’t on sale. It even applies to things like newspapers and greeting cards!

+Up Rewards are basically used as Rite Aid cash. When you purchase certain items, they print on the bottom of the receipt for use on your next purchase. They have an expiration date usually about 2 weeks from when they are issued.

Did you know that Rite Aid has store coupons which can be combined with manufacturer coupons? They are called Video Values. Basically, you watch a commercial which is usually 30 seconds or less and you are rewarded with a pretty high value coupon. There are coupons for single items and there are also bonus coupons which take an amount off your total purchase, such as $4 off a $20 purchase.

Certain items each month qualify for a single check rebate (SCR). SCRs are checks issued that can be deposited into your bank account for cash. You can find a directory of items each month for which a SCR will be issued along with the dates for the period (it’s not always a complete calendar month) usually right be the weekly ads. It’s very easy to claim your rebate…You simply go to the SCR website and enter the store number, register number, transaction number, and date from your receipt. The website does the rest! At the end of the month you just login and request your check. Don’t worry, if you forget they’ll automatically send it to you after the closing date for entries J

First, I collect all my manufacturer coupons. All coupons will either have a source telling you where the coupon is from (Ex. SS 1/30 = Smart Source insert from the Jan 30 newspaper) or a link where you can get a printable coupon.

Now head to Rite Aid to grab some great deals! BE SURE TO GIVE YOUR WELLNESS+ CARD BEFORE YOUR ITEMS ARE SCANNED.

When checking out if you have a total purchase coupon (Ex. $4 off a $20 purchase) hand over that coupon first. You want to make sure you get that before the rest of your coupons drop your total below the purchase amount.

Any +UP Rewards that you were eligible for will print at the bottom of your receipt. Simply cut these off and use them as cash on one of your next purchases. Be sure to note the expiration date so you don’t forget about them. I usually hand them over after all my coupons so I can see my total and how many I would like to use.

When you get home if you’ve purchased any items eligible for Single Check Rebates head to the SCR site and enter your receipt information. You’ll receive an email once your receipt is processed showing you your current SCR balance.

And that’s the basics of Rite Aid shopping…simple, huh? I know, it seems totally overwhelming, but trust me, once you go through the steps a few times it really becomes second nature. And once you get to the checkout and watch that total drop to practically nothing, you’ll definitely be back for more!

One other tip…it’s always a good idea to have a copy of the store’s coupon policy with you in case there is an issue at the register. You can find Rite Aid’s coupon policy here.

Please don’t hesitate if you have any questions…just leave a comment below or contact me 😉